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The financial media loves a crisis, and we have no shortage of them. The government shutdown and the looming possibility of a default provide ample fodder for those whose livelihoods depend on readers, viewers and advertising revenue.

The major advertisers in financial media are members of the securities industry. This industry depends on trading by investors to increase fees and commissions. It's the perfect storm for investors. Much of the media acts as a shill for its advertisers by increasing fear and anxiety, which, in turn, stimulates trading as investors flee to safety and wait on the sidelines until things settle down.

Bouncing in and out of the market in response to market volatility is a recipe for poor returns. A University of Michigan study commissioned by Towneley Capital Management found that investors who missed less than 1 percent of the best trading days from 1963 through 2004 did not capture 96 percent of market returns. Another analysis of market-timing strategies over a 10-year period found that 80 percent of market timers failed over any reasonable period of time. Those are not encouraging odds.

Terrible advice abounds in these times. Jim Cramer, a common source of hype and misinformation, warns that all stocks will "get clocked" as the prospect of default nears. He suggests buying dividend-paying stocks as "bounce back candidates." Cramer doesn't reference the extensive data indicating that using high-dividend stocks as a substitute for safe bonds is risky and a poor substitute for an intelligently implemented value strategy.

A blog post from CNBC reports a prediction from investment bank Societe Generale that U.S. shares are "headed for a big drop in the first quarter of 2014, followed by a year-long period of stagnation." Another post from CNBC warns that a "debt freeze would throw the economy hard into reverse and another deep recession."

You don't need to look far to understand how the securities industry benefits from stoking fear and anxiety. A Bloomberg article discusses the sad plight of more than 30,000 investors who succumbed to the pitch of Morgan Stanley (MS) and invested in a managed futures fund called Morgan Stanley Smith Barney Spectrum Technical LP. The fund was supposed to "potentially profit at times when traditional markets are experiencing losses."

Here's the good news. The fund did make profits of more than $490 million for the decade ending in 2012. How did the investors do? They received no returns. More than $498 million was paid to Morgan Stanley in commissions, expenses and fees.

This obscene result is not atypical. The article reports that 89 percent of the $11.51 billion of gains in 63 managed futures funds went to fees, commissions and expenses during the same decade.

Once you understand that much of the financial media's goal is to assist its advertisers in transferring your wealth to them, you can view the information provided by them with a new perspective.

The views of the author are his alone and may not represent the views of his affiliated firms. Any data, information and content on this blog is for information purposes only and should not be construed as an offer of advisory services.

For years, security professionals have emphasized the importance of shredding your personal documents before you throw them out. But Holland notes that shredding isn't as much of a priority as it used to be. "There aren't nearly as many documents with personal information out there as there were even just two years ago," he explains. "These days, it's much easier to get your information off your computer."

Passwords are your first line of defense against intruders. But, as Holland points out, even the most careful people sometimes have password breaches. "I've helped chief privacy officers from health care and security firms," he notes. "If they're getting hit, then anyone is vulnerable." While Holland notes the importance of having a good password, he emphasizes that the most important thing is paying attention to password breach notifications. If you hear that one of your passwords may have been breached, he counsels, change it immediately. And, because many of your accounts may be linked, he notes, it's not a bad idea to change the rest of your passwords as well.

One piece of advice that you don't often hear is to keep on top of software updates. But, Holland argues, updating your operating system, your software, and your security programs is one of the easiest and most important ways to ensure your security. Software companies spend a lot of time and money trying to stay ahead of online intruders -- it only makes sense to take advantage of their work.

Even if you are convinced that your security is state-of-the-art and your password is unbreakable, it never hurts to double-check your most sensitive accounts. Holland suggests regularly checking your bank and credit card statements to ensure that there aren't any inappropriate charges on your accounts. As a side benefit, this is also a great way to catch any unexpected fees that your bank may try to spring on you.

When a breach happens, a fast response can mean the difference between a minor annoyance and a major pain in the neck. With that in mind, Holland suggests talking to your bank about having transaction alerts placed on your account. Every time your account is credited with a transaction over a particular amount -- $50, for example -- your bank will send you an e-mail or text notification. If it's an expected transaction, you can discard the message; if not, you'll be able to respond immediately.

Every year, you are entitled to a free credit report from each of the reporting bureaus. Holland suggests taking advantage of this free service, noting that your credit report is a great way to track your outstanding debts and ensure that nobody is trying to open false accounts in your name. He emphasizes, however, that the best way to get your free report is by going to AnnualCreditReport.com, not FreeCreditReport.com. "That site's a scam," he laughs.

Being a small business owner, I've battled financial anxiety A LOT. I found this white paper by Fortiphi Financial to be extremely helpful: http://www.fortiphi.com/financial-anxiety-affect-worker-productivity/